3 education bills approved in Senate committee

The Clarion-Ledger, 2/5/8

The Senate Education Committee approved three bills this morning that would:

Allow the Mississippi Department of Education to reorganize for one year without approval from the state personnel board. State Superintendent Hank Bounds asked for the change, saying the personnel board does not allow for flexibility in hiring or giving raises.

Give pay increases only to teachers with more than 25 years of experience. The funding allocation would be phased in over a period of three years, at about $6.2 million a year.

Start a mentoring program for new teachers. Each mentor, which can be retired teachers or working teachers with a certain level of experience, would be paid $1,000 annually to do the service.